Tools

That old one-legged stork-standing flautist Ian Anderson put both feet on the ground this week and strode confidently to the podium to deliver two Jethro Tull-related announcements.

First, his group will launch an extensive world tour starting in April of 2012 to perform — in its entirety, and for the first time since 1972 — its unusual catalog classic “Thick As A Brick,” a record consisting of one 45-minute song whose lyrics were originally attributed to a fictional 8-year-old English lad. The band has only played snippets from the set, here and there, to date.

Additionally, this fall Jethro Tull will be releasing a 40th-anniversary “Aqualung” in several different editions, including 180-gram vinyl, a two CD and DVD version, and even a Blu-Ray. They feature stereo remixes by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, countless bonus tracks, studio outtakes and alternate versions of the original “Aqualung” material, plus a hardbound 48-page book containing rare photos, memoirs from various band members, and an interview with Anderson himself.

At the podium, he had this to say: “When I wrote and recorded these songs and slaved over a hot audio-mixer in Island Records’ Basing St. Studios, I never thought we would be celebrating this 40th Anniversary release, soon to be released in October. But you can’t keep a good song down. Many of these are still favorites onstage today in our concerts around the world.”